


Sakura Dance: In All Lifetimes, I Will Find You

by Hasaji_san2



Category: Gintama
Genre: Class 3-Z Ginpachi-sensei, F/M, Gekijouban Gintama Kanketsu-hen: Yorozuya yo Eien Nare | Be Forever Yorozuya, GinTae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2018-11-01 11:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10920705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hasaji_san2/pseuds/Hasaji_san2
Summary: Ginpachi-sensei isn't sure about what he saw on that day. He doesn't want to believe that–somehow, somewhere, some time, in some circumstances–his and his student, Shimura Tae's fates, have already crossed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really (10x) want to thank my GinTae family (you know who you are, guys) for talking with me about GinTae delulu stuff. We are like 4% in the fandom, yet we strongly believe in our ship, we don't wither. Let's continue loving our Father and Mother more and more and more. I really love our family! <3 <3 
> 
> I'm sending huggles to Ansacchan. I really (10x) love your GinTae arts, and a million thanks to you for creating the cover for this fan fiction, I don't know if this story deserve such a wonderful gift. T_T I screamed when you told me that you were drawing an art for it, you have no idea how much it made me happy. Keep up the good work! 
> 
> This story is for all the GinTae fans out there. It might not be perfect, but I hope you enjoy this one. T_T 
> 
> Sorry for the OOCness and grammatical errors.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gintama. Sorachi ''Gorilla-sensei'' Hideaki owns this awesome story. (ง ͠ ͠° ل͜ °)ง

              **He could do nothing but watch through his eyes that certain Silver Head charging towards him with the wooden sword in his hand that soon pierced through his chest. The sky turned orange and golden, illuminating the darkness of the isolated and ruined place where the resounding step echoed the coda of everything.**

**It wasn't painful. His body was numb a long time ago and he'd just been waiting for the time when he won't finally remember how to breathe. He thought it was the perfect moment.**

**His lips, smeared with blood, curved into a faint smile and before the last seconds of his life, he murmured to the Silver Head.**

**"The only one who can kill me is me."**

**The orange and golden sky witnessed the end of a man in that abandoned space. On the other side of the town, a bedridden woman just breathed her last.**

              He quirked a brow and nodded. Not bad for the first draft. "Hmm… it's good."

              "Really, Ginpachi-sensei?!"

              "Yeah, 5 out of 10."

              His orange head and _aru_ accent user student exited the room with her gloomy form after hearing the grade he gave her for the story she just submitted to him. The story was good but it didn't fit the theme of the week, which should be about rebirth and bud blooms also known as _Spring_. In all honesty, Kagura's work should automatically be rejected for not following instructions however, there was something about its plot that saved itself from getting into the trashcan.

              Its flow piqued Ginpachi-sensei's interest. What would happen to the story next, now that those two were dead?

              Yawning, he looked at the clock hanging on the wall of the faculty room. It was five thirty in the afternoon and he should've been preparing to go home. He took a quick glance at the entrance door to check if someone was coming, and sighed when he found no one. He clucked his tongue. Just one more student and he could go out.

              The Silver Head lied his head down on the table and let himself listen to the noises of the other teachers in the faculty room. His ears almost bled from Sakamoto-sensei's annoying laughter, Matsudaira-sensei and Otose-sensei's bickers, and Hattori-sensei's weeps about his hemorrhoids. It was six-thirty in the evening when the last teacher, Gengai-sensei, bid farewell to him, and now the room was left in silence, _and yet…_ there was no student arriving.  

              What was she doing, taking all the time in the world? Did she go home already? She didn't trick him, did she? While pondering over why the hell was that certain student taking so long, Ginpachi-sensei failed to notice the Brunette in ponytail entering the faculty room and approaching his desk.

              For some reason, he could smell the fragrance of spring. And that moment, he knew.

              "Sensei."

             Ginpachi turned his head to the side and looked up at Brown-haired near him. At last, the student… his damn student that took her sweet time, the class president of 3-Z, Shimura Tae, was _finally_ in front on him, handing him five pages of long bond papers, and bowing her head. "My short story's done. I'm sorry if it's late."

              "This must be topnotch, Shimura. Since you made your Teacher _wait this long_ ," he put heavy emphasis on his last words. When he met her gaze, guilt immediately crossed the student's face. "Ah… it's done already. Just don't do it again next time."

              " _Hai._ "

              The Silver Head stood up and started gathering his things, but his student wasn't moving. He threw a quick sideways glance at her. "Young people shouldn't go home late especially nowadays. It's dangerous to stay outside at night. Even though you look like a boy, you still─" He felt a hand grab his curl. "I was kidding, I was kidding..."

              "But you won't mind escorting _this_ boy, 'ne?"

              Ginpachi froze, dropped the classroom record on his desk, and facepalmed when he recovered. His head motioned to face the student beside him, so that he could talk some sense into her, but _her damn smile_ casually greeted his distressed expression. He was a teacher and older to beat, a lot wiser than this girl, but Tae was better when it came to this thing. He should have known better.

              He wiped her hand off his curl and narrowed his eyes as he told her. "Oi, you did that on purpose?"

             The nerve of his student when she opened her eyes and looked at him with her large, brown orbs, looking so innocent as if she'd totally never done anything to inconvenience him. "Sensei, are you saying that I meant to submit my papers very late, so I'd get alone time with you and we could go home together?"     

              Plus, she was fearless and brutal, but sweet talker at the same time. He has encountered students who've spat out the worst and brusquest thing from d*** to the f***, but her tongue was sharp like a sword, it could penetrate more into someone's soul.

              Shimura Tae was known for her sarcasm and cunningness hence, she earned the "Bitch" title. She wasn't elected as the 3-Z's president for nothing. She'd say what was on her mind regardless of how sensitive it was, but for some reason, no one would take her remarks as offensive or rude because, as often as not, her notes were slaps to reality. Even with the "Bitch" title, students respected and feared her. Ginpachi understood those people very well because like any other casualties, although he'd known her essence, he still fell victim to her shenanigans.  

              As soon as he was done clearing his desk, he got out of the faculty. The Brunette, on the other hand, tailed her teacher. The two managed to reach the school's quadrangle in quietness. Ginpachi was peacefully dreaming about his favorite weather girl reporter until he felt Tae's head bump against his back.

              He freaked out. "What's with you?! Don't come close to me, idiot!"  

              As if she didn't hear his warning, his student moved closer and leaned her head on his rear, of all the things she could do. The Silver Head turned into rock. Every system inside him was now in emergency mode, worried sick that once someone saw them with this set-up, this would be the death of him. This kind of thing didn't sit right with Japan─teacher and student being touchy-touchy and all. PTA would really kill him this time.  

              "Sensei knew what I was doing from the beginning, yet Sensei still waited for me. Does that mean he also wants to be alone with his student as much as his student wants to be alone with him?"

              He choked at what she said. It wasn't something Shimura Tae would say in normal circumstances. But, scratched that "it wasn't something she would say" whatsoever because the student _just_ dropped another bomb in his head. What happened was she buried her freaking face in his back. "Oi, oi… you must be kidding, wait a minut─"

              "Why did you hug me yesterday?"

              He paused.

              She paused.

              The world paused.

              The cherry blossom petals from the tree gently danced in the wind as they fell to the ground in slow beat. The earliest of evening, the moon slightly peeked through the curtain clouds, the two people occupied a large space such as this school ground. But, for the two of them, there was nothing narrower than their current location. Through his eyes, he memorized the scene of the ancient wonder like how he learned in a heartbeat, this girl's… no… this woman's shifts of emotions. If gods were playing with them, someone should cut off this moment before she completely infiltrated the Silver Head's consciousness.  

              "Shimura."

              "Yes, Gin-san?"

              "I'm your teacher."

              The soundless atmosphere lasted for several seconds.   

              "Let me call you Gin-san when no one's around."

              "Tch," he scratched the back of his head. "What a bummer."  

              "We share the same dream," she smiled sweetly. "You used to call me Otae, 'ne?"

              And those familiar rings… it stirred up something inside the both of them.

              It was squeezing Ginpachi's chest.  


 

銀魂  
To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm happy that there are people who appreciate the beauty of GinTae.  
> Let's keep supporting this couple. 
> 
> Here's chapter 2 for you. Hope you enjoy. ^^ 
> 
> Apologies in advance. Grammatical errors and OOCness ahead.  
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gintama. Sorachi ''Gorilla-sensei'' Hideaki owns this awesome story. (ง ͠ ͠° ل͜ °)ง

* * *

Ginpachi was used to seeing flying blackboard eraser, or desk, or sometimes knives first thing in the morning once he entered 3-Z classroom. But today, the atmosphere in the room was unusually tamer. Once his students heard the sound of the sliding door open and saw him stepped inside, they stood up from their desks and greeted him. He put down his class record on the teacher's table in front of the class, and began the roll call immediately.

              "Kagura"

              " _Hai~_ "

              "Shimura Shinpachi."

              " _Hai!_ "

              "Kondo."

              " _Hai._ "

              The tone of the President of the Student Council, Kondo Isao, was a lot less cheerful than before.

              "Okita"

              " _Haa~iii…_ "

              "Hijikata."

              "Ah."

              "Shimura Tae."

              "…"

              "Shimura Tae."

              Kagura raised her hand. "Sensei, Anego is not here today. She's already tired of seeing the Gorilla's face every day!"

              "Kagura, don't batter Isao-kun's feelings for breakfast," he deadpanned.

              There were mixed reactions from the students, most of them suppressed their laughter with their eyes glued to Kondo, also known as the "Gorilla". In normal circumstances, the remark would elicit a ridiculous reaction from the Gorilla, but since he seemed so down because, well, Shimura Tae wasn't around, he chose to rest his head on his desk and shut himself off from the world. Hijikata and Okita would later console their best friend, throwing non-sense advices─one would think what they offered were more of a mockery than a comfort.    

              While the class was picking on Kondo, Shimura, the other younger Shimura with spectacles, the cherry boy Shimura Shinpachi, moved up from his chair and approached Ginpachi. "Sensei, Aneue wants to apologize for her absence today. When I left her this morning, she isn't feeling well. She said, if her condition gets better, she'll take the half-day classes, and she wants me to give this to you," the bespectacled boy handed him a folded brown paper. 

              Ginpachi put the letter to the side, opened his textbooks to the page for today's lesson, grabbed the chalk, and started babbling about nucleus and its organization. It was another normal Tuesday for the Silver Head with his snot-looking students, but somehow, he could see the world with black vignettes. In all honesty, he wasn't in the mood for classes today since his skull felt as if it was splitting into two. He wasn't able to sleep last night because of a very weird dream. 

              _A really weird dream._

              The Teacher unknowingly broke the chalkboard when he felt something suddenly kick his guts. As much as he could, he calmly finished his lecture on the board, and excused himself for bathroom break right after. As soon as he egressed the room, something struck his stomach once more and this time, he didn't suppress the pain his face was about to express. He leaned on the wall for support when his knees buckled sweat trickled down his face.

              "Gintoki?"

              He peered at the one who called his name. It was Tsukuyo-sensei, the blonde beauty with cool scars across her face. He could see her walking towards him. "Something wrong? Ya' don't look good."

              Indeed, his condition wasn't good, but he'd rather not say it. "All is well. Aren't you going to your class? Your students are waiting for you."

             Tsukuyo proceeded to dab a handkerchief she pulled out of nowhere on his forehead. "Ya' should go to clinic. Want me ta' accompany you?"

              "No, thanks," he rubbed his palm against his forehead. Somehow, it seemed like his headache had worsen.    

              The next thing that registered to his sense was a whistle that echoed along the hallway followed by a familiar baritone voice with a teasing tone. "What's the two lovebirds doing here early in the morning? Flirting in broad daylight?"

              Entered another idiot that would worsen his already worse condition. The sandy-haired, hemorrhoid, JUMP lover teacher, Hattori-sensei, stopped in front of them, with a smirk on his face. "Mind your classes before your crotches, huh?"

              Ginpachi groaned in distress. "Cut it out, you idiots. You aren't helping. You two better go to your respective rooms." 

              The two weren't able to do anything when he started walking to the direction of the washroom. He could hear Hattori rambling, "that guy's really not getting a girlfriend" and the likes, as he forced himself to walk further. Everything was blurry to him. His head was spinning, it was as if there were ripples on the ground, and if he ever stepped on those, the ripples would swallow him whole. Ginpachi tried to focus his eyes on one thing, on the thing that was in front of him. Through his foggy perspective, he could discern a brown-haired woman in ponytail, wearing a pink kimono sprinkled with cherry blossom petals. The woman was smiling at him, as if she was inviting him to come close to her. When his vision came into clear focus, he saw a face reminiscent of someone he knew.

              Why was 3-Z's Class President, Shimura Tae, in kimono?

              When the woman in ponytail stepped near him, the next thing he saw was the white ceiling of the school, and the last sound he heard were familiar voices of a man and a woman calling his name. After those, it was all black.       

* * *

 

              _"Gin-san."_

_He opened his eyes. The nostalgic feeling of spring, and cherry blossom petals gracefully flying in the wind like butterflies welcomed him. The sky was clear there was nothing there except for those pink buds. He could peacefully sleep all day in this condition, plus there was some cushion that he felt too comfortable with to get up and check what it was below his silver head. It felt like sleeping on someone's lap._

_Someone's lap? His throat itched and he coughed, out of the blue._

_With his dead fish eyes, he rose and checked on what or who it was that's been supporting his precious head. He found a girl… no… a woman. The strands of her ponytail were following the tender blows of the wind._

_"Is everything alright, Gin-san?" She asked him with a smile._

_For some reason, he knew who she was. "Yeah. Otae."_

_"Something seems bothering you," she stood from the ground and dusted off her pink kimono._

_He blinked for several times when Otae held out a hand to him. Just staring at it earned him a smile, not an ordinary happy one, but a smile with murderous intent, and a yank he didn't anticipate._

_"Oi, give me a break! Where are you taking me?!" He questioned in panic when he almost tripped. She was dragging him to who-knows where with that carefree beam of her, he wondered where did her notorious smile earlier go._

_"Maybe this would free you from worrying, Gin-san. You miss your home, 'ne?"_

_His brows furrowed in confusion. "Ha? What are you talking about?"_

_She didn't respond this time. She just continued running like she was running after something very important. And yet in an abrupt shift of moments, the Silver Head was taken aback when she, still with the same expression on her face, pushed her into a green, grassy slope by the river only to be caught by two pairs of hands at the end of his fall. His heart throbbed, he thought it was going to explode by the sight of two heads_ _─_ _one orange and one black_ _─_ _that nuzzled up against him._

_"Gin-chan!", "Gin-san!" were what he overheard._

_He couldn't be mistaken. He knew those voices too well. "Shinpachi, Kagura?"_

_And the familiar warmth, those hands that wrapped around them, protecting one another. It was too much for Gintoki, these feelings he couldn't name. Did he deserve this? The gods were kind this time and seemed to heed someone's prayer. He had a quick view of the cherry blossoms. The Silver Head turned his gaze above the riverbank to search for Otae. She was standing straight, waving at them, and he had to rub his eyes to prove that what he saw was just a trick._

_The corners of his eyes were already red from rubbing, yet the illusion didn't fade_ _─_ _she was still slowly disappearing with the tiny lights. Shinpachi, Kagura and Gintoki rushed to Otae's spot, and when they arrived, there was no one there anymore._

_The spring ended too soon._

"Otae!"

              Ginpachi was jolted awake. He thought he was having a heart attack from inhaling and exhaling so deeply, he could feel the muscles contracting the air passage in his chest. His head throbbing, brows furrowed tight with pain. When his breathing became steady, he looked around the white room that appeared to be the school clinic. He was resting on one of the beds the white curtain was down for privacy. The silver head Teacher drew the curtain open and was about to clear his space when he noticed another presence across his spot.

              On the other side of the room was a student in her school uniform, staring directly at him with tears on her cheeks. The sunset made her form glow in golden orange that it seemed she was amalgamating with the wind. As if, she was leaving for another world, as if she was fading.

              As if…

              "Gin-san?"     

              He knew what would transpire next, yet he didn't control himself. If someone entered the clinic and saw them with this kind of arrangement, he honestly won't care. He just wanted to hug Tae.

              "Sensei?"

              "Hmm?" When was the last time he heard her voice?

              And when was the last time her fist landed on his face?

               "How dare you touch your student, _bakayaro_?!"

              Well, this was a hundred times better than her abused _tamagoyaki_.

 

 

銀魂  
To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry for the late update. T_T I've been searching for a gold bar and the inspiration for this chapter. I'd like to say thank you for all the reviews and kudos! <3
> 
> Anyway, have you guys seen the Gintama live action? GinTae was very strong there! I'm very excited to see the movie, and I'll watch it with the GinTae family! 
> 
> Here's chapter 3 for you. I hope you enjoy! <3 
> 
> Apologies in advance. Grammatical errors and OOCness ahead.  
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gintama. Sorachi ''Gorilla-sensei'' Hideaki owns this awesome story. (ง ͠ ͠° ل͜ °)ง

* * *

              "Shimura."

              "Yes, Gin-san?"

              "I'm your teacher."

              The soundless atmosphere lasted for several seconds.  

              "Let me call you Gin-san when no one's around."

              "Tch," he scratched the back of his head. "What a bummer." 

              "We share the same dream," she smiled sweetly. "You used to call me Otae, 'ne?"

              Those familiar rings… it was squeezing Ginpachi's chest. The silver-haired Teacher sighed in defeat, as if he just lost the biggest argument in his life to his student. It was beyond despicable. It wasn't something he would normally do, but to hell with normally, he just did it. He just freaking _hugged_ his student yesterday, inside the school clinic, when she was helpless and vulne─Ginpachi smacked his own head, so the images that suddenly flooded his mind would be dissolved.   

              "Oi, Shimura, _yamero_. If you wanna give free hugs, call your Gorilla-kun instead."

              "You haven't answered my question, Gin-sa─"

              "─Sensei."

              "Gin-san," she said with a stern voice, and he could just shut his mouth. "If you won't answer me, I won't let go."

              He snorted, and muttered curses under his breath. "What a pain in the ass of a student you are. 'More painful than this school's idiots combined."  

                Since he couldn't negotiate with his stubborn student, Ginpachi gripped both her arms that were wrapped around his waist and forcibly unfastened them from his body. Without letting go of Tae's wrists, he dragged her to the area around the school where he parked his scooter, and asked her to sit astride the back seat of his vehicle. He handed her a helmet before he wore his own, pulled the key out of his pocket, put it in the keyhole, and as soon as he hopped on, started the engine, and sped away.   

              While on the road, Ginpachi checked his student through the side mirror, and noticed how stiffed she was. Tae was trying so hard to keep the distance between their bodies that it almost cost her life.

              "There's nothing wrong if you move a little closer this time. Or you'd rather fall off and die?" he said. His eyes focused straight on their way, driving steady.    

              He felt her move closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Ginpachi sighed and disregarded his slight discomfort at her action. Fifteen minutes or more was all that it took to reach his student's house. This wasn't his first time to drop by Shimura residence, he once drove her younger brother back home during the school festival, where the young lad had to stay late with him to finish the preparation for the event the next day. The façade of the structure was simple and humble just as what it was inside─a typical quiet, household─except that the parents never showed up. As she hoped off the bike, Tae unwrapped her arms from his waist and climbed up his shoulders for support. Gintoki clenched his teeth when her fingers brushed his nape, tickling the curls growing there. He didn't know if it was intentional but that moment he figured, he should be cautious of getting close to Shimura Tae, and if he wanted his rationality intact, he should keep his distance between them. Three metres apart.

              But when his student took the helmet off her head and returned it to him, he concluded that it would take a lot of effort to be able to keep that three-metre distance he just thought of. Not when he was too familiar with her scent. Not when even one of his helmets was suffused with her scent.

              He cursed inwardly. The hell was that, acting like a perverted old man.

* * *

 

              "Oi. Why were you acting lovey-dovey with Sensei yesterday? I saw it with my own two eyes, my glasses included, four all in all!"

              The Brunette started off her day with a not-so-good event that she almost missed her classes again. She glared at Ayame Sarutobi, who had got her trapped against the wall while babbling things she couldn't understand. She didn't perceive what her classmate was saying because she didn't have the energy to play her game. She already missed the roll call, and half of the lessons, she'd need to borrow notes from her classmates again. Aside from the inconveniences on her part as a student, like any other normal late high schoolers in Japan, she was punished to stand in the hallway until the resume of the classes after the break. Her brother was lucky to unexpectedly be summoned into the faculty room so he was able to flee from the punishment.

              Aware of the background noises, she sighed. Why did it have to be now, people standing in her way and being pain in the neck, of all times? 

              Just this morning, while walking with her brother Shinpachi to school, several male students from a different high school blocked them, all were towering the siblings with their heights and intimidating stances. Among the tall crowd was a braided, orange-haired punk, who was the smallest, stood at 170 centimetres. He had a cute peach bandage with rabbit design over the bridge of his nose that matched his boyish, innocent features. However, there was nothing innocent about him. He was, after all, the leader of the notorious troop that was the constant headache of every high school in Kabuki. The "Yato" gang.

              Upon the appearance of the said male, she felt her brother tremble while he was concealed at her back. And before she knew, the tension was already as intense as seeing the fight between the Komodo Dragon and the King Cobra. She stepped forward, ignoring her brother's warnings, until she was face to face with the male teen her age, who sauntered forward to meet her.

              "Kamui-san," she greeted him with a smile, and he smiled back. The people around them knew that although they addressed each other politely, it wasn't the case at all. "Would you piss off and leave my brother alone? We have no time for your crappy of a play."   

              "Heh, hoh, heh…" his voice was bubbly, teasing even. If she was oozing with sarcasm, this boy was harder to read. "It wasn't my fault to begin with, Miss. I'm just properly responding to your brother's invitation." 

              She looked back at Shinpachi who was using hands movements to convey, "it's not me, it's Kagura-chan". She sighed. According to the story Shinpachi and Kagura told her, the whole dispute started because of the younger sister's rage, and her brother just happened to be the companion at that moment. 

              Kagura and Kamui, despite the huge differences between their personalities, were brothers and sisters. Kamui, who was supposed to be out of high school like her, was the black sheep of their family and was the reason why their father turned bald. One day, Kagura was told by her father to come and get her older brother back from some shady dormitory since Kamui seemed to not be changing despite the lesson his father granted him. It took a lot of effort just to be able to talk to her brother, and she needed Shinpachi's help since Kagura had the tendency to trash talk her sibling regardless of any circumstances. She tried to talk to Kamui, with every politeness left in her, but the male was so focused on his huge-ass cake he ignored everyone in his surroundings. That provoked the younger sister so greatly, she flipped the table, and consequently, sent the cake flying. They said they could swear, they felt the killing intent from her brother at the sight of the cake hitting the floor hence, Shinpachi and Kagura flew from the scene. They knew if they stayed any longer, they were dead.        

              Several hours after that incident, the two received an MMS that made Shinpachi shudder. The content was a picture of the orange-haired boy smiling at the camera while his hand held up in a peace sign. The image seemed harmless, but when they read the caption, _"I don't like war, but you left me with no choice"_ scrolling down further, there were some far more sinister words from him. _"Wherever you are I'll find you, and I won't stop until I kill y'all_ ^_^" 

That was the history of beginning of this chaos. Just because of a freaking cake.

              Tae stepped back, her eyes narrowed, her fists balled, and anticipated Kamui's next move. This was the third time she had met him, so somehow, she was familiar with his person. To stop him from taking one step forward, all she had to do was…

              " _Aneue_ , stop! You can't beat him!"

              Throw candies at him.  

              Behind their orange head Leader, she could see the disappointment written on the men's faces, especially the second in hierarchy, Abuto, who got his palm over his face when Kamui knelt down in front of her and picked up the _Choco-choco_ that were splattered on the ground. The whole crowd was quiet as they watched their admirable Leader finished collecting the candies, unwrapped one of those, and shoot a sweet in his mouth. It was a golden opportunity for the Shimuras, so Tae grabbed his brother's wrist and dragged him to escape, but she was held still by her ponytail. When she looked back, Kamui's fist was balled through her hair, keeping her in place. He was chewing the _Choco-choco_ she gave him, the side of his lips were full of cocoa smudge. She met his big azure eyes that spoke no ill of her. Just her plain form in that blue reflection.

              He swallowed. "We're not yet done, Miss. You should come with me to buy more of this thing so my friends could taste it, too~"

              She was surprised when a mad Shinpachi slapped Kamui's hand that was clutched on her hair and threw a crumpled paper at the unsuspecting Yato. "Moron! You're a total moron! Why do you have to drag _Aneue_ with you, when you can find that Choco-choco practically in any convenience stores!"          

              The orange head blinked for several times before narrowing his eyes, and then smirked, and then eyes glinted sharper than the blade. Shinpachi didn't back down even when the smiling Kamui grabbed him by the collar and lifted him a little. Tae clenched her teeth, and was about to strike the Yato leader with her bag, when some uninvited guest approached the crowd gathered on the side of the street.

              All eyes were directed towards the tall, long brown-ish grey haired man in suit when he hemmed to catch the gang's attention. No one had any idea who the man was but Shinpachi and Tae were able to evade the situation because of him. He politely asked Kamui to put her brother down, and fight him instead. When the man stepped into their place, he signaled them to run away immediately. When he looked back and, as if seeing her own reflection, the man having the same smile as her, he mouthed "Go" to them. She wasn't able to thank him when Shinpachi quickly yanked her out of the scene.        

              The man's smile and his stance, somehow, it felt like she had seen him before.

              Who could he be?

              She was sent out of her reverie when she felt a pair of hands gripped her shoulders and shook her non-stop. "You're spacing out, witch! You just daydreamed, didn’t you?! You just daydreamed about Sensei!"

              In the present time, when she looked up at the person who was currently shaking her person, the intense, funny face of Ayame Sarutobi welcomed her. No matter how serious her expression could get, she couldn't take her seriously. Not in the span of her obsessive-fangirling-bordering-stalking era on Ginpachi-sensei. Speaking of their teacher…

              Never mind.  

              "Sarutobi, if you don't want me to rip your breasts off your chest, kindly get your hands off me," even though there was nothing to be calmed about, she was able to ask her classmate with a steady voice, and with the usual sarcasm she put in her sentence.

               But, she almost regretted her action when she saw the pained expression crossed Sarutobi's face, before she let go of her shoulders, and silently left her in the hallway. Tae told herself that there was nothing to be guilty about, and that she could still approach her once this chaos of a day ended. She just needed a breather. Regarding Sarutobi's question about Ginpachi and her, she didn't know the answer herself. Their teacher simply gave her a ride yesterday because she was dismissed from school very late so she could finish the story, that was all. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. 

              _"Gin-san, if you won't answer me, I won't let go."_

              That was all, nothing happened at all.

              "Oi."

              A familiar baritone voice cut off her thoughts. It was coming from behind the sliding window of their classroom. She couldn't see the person from the other side because the window glasses were opaque, although she could slightly discern his shadow, and she knew who the owner of the voice was. However, the windows dividing them were pretty thick so his voice came faint. She had to lean in to the window so she could hear him properly.

              "Yes, Hijikata-san?" she responded.

              "I know it's none of my business, but I saw it last night."

              Last night. And her impulsive deeds. The flashbacks were immediate. Tae bit her lower lip as she felt her heart starting to thump hard against her chest, and as she convinced herself that nothing happened last night. Or no one saw it.

              "Huh?" she pretended not hearing anything

              Hijikata spoke louder this time. "I said I saw it last night."

              "Huh?"

              "Damn it," she heard him mutter curse behind the window. "How deaf can you get?"

              The next thing she knew, the window was sliding opened and the divider between her and Hijikata had been cleared. He was about to shout at her but he froze on the spot when he realized how close their faces were. Both of them were surprised, dumbfounded even, at the distance. The tips of their nose and their lips were practically touching.  

              Tae could swear she smelled Hijikata's cigarette-scented breath.  

 

銀魂  
To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long since I last updated and I apologize. T_T We were busy doing content for GinTae Week last October 23 through 29. 
> 
> I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thank you for reading this work! ^.^

* * *

No one dared to blink. The noises in the classroom, the things that surrounded them, all of those have been forgotten because of one focus– each other's face. Shimura Tae was the first one to blink. Hijikata Toushiro then pulled away. He looked from left to right before turning his back at her.

            "W-What the hell was that?! You should've warned me!" he chided, but it was more of a question to her. Her classmate's voice was faulty and if he twisted around, for sure, she would find out about his colored cheeks.

            Refusing to face the other person, Tae wasn't the only one whose mind danced frantically, like an amateur performer unaware of the cues. They stood in silence, and, after a long moment of hesitation, proceeded to start talking again. But they immediately halted when they both realized they opened their mouth concurrently. Silence, once again, impregnated the air. Both students' head were turned to one side, hiding their embarrassment. Hijikata would be damned if he won't be able to recover quickly. This kind of awkwardness shouldn't exist between them, so he asked Tae if he could go first.

            He cleared his throat. "I hate sticking my nose into someone's affair but next time, try to be more subtle."

            "What do you mean?"

            "Don't play dumb with me," his metallic blue eyes found her big brown ones as he curled his lips in disdain. "I saw you and that perm Teacher last night. If you have that kind of relationship with him, you shouldn't flaunt it here. This isn't the place for things like that. I know you're perfectly aware of the rule within this parameter… _Kaichou_."

            She would've taken it as a plain piece of advice if not for his tone. The Brunette squinted up at him to meet his gaze, and took note of the emphasis on his last words. "So, the Vice Chairman of the Discipline Committee could use sarcasm, too," she directed a menacing smile at him and folded her arms across her chest. "What a great student model you are, honorable Hijikata Toushiro-san. I can't imagine you doing something that will ruin your image as the _Respectable._ Vice. Chairman. You won't even dare to gamble, or drink, or smoke, would you? Or… oh," she momentarily wavered when the male unceremoniously seized her arm. It was her turn to sneer. “… Bull's eye?"

            Based on the shift of his expression, it was definitely a bull's eye. "What did you say?"

            "Don't play dumb with me," she retorted back his early phrase.

            And that provoked Hijikata even more. His thick eyebrows became almost connected, his jaw clenched, his sharp eyes turned more piercing when he shot a glare at her. He looked down at his hand that was clutching her arm before pulling her towards him, not minding the proximity of their bodies all of a sudden.

            "How in the world did you find out? Who told you?" he nearly had an angry tone.

            "I won't find out if you had brushed your teeth."

            She could swear she heard some metals clanked from a not so faraway room right after she spoke. The Brunette witnessed how the Vice President’s eyes slowly widened at the, probably, silliness of how she found out about his rather darkest secret. It was anti-climactic, maybe that was what was on his mind. Maybe he was thinking, she'd been involved in some investigation or that some traitor from his group sent her information to ruin his image.

           “Were you thinking that Okita-san told me about it?”

            He didn't affirm but his red cheeks were more than enough of an answer. She thought, it was adorable. She nearly giggled when he brought his face farther away from her. The male turned self-conscious all of a sudden. 

            "This will be our little secret from now on?" Tae's voice came soft once his grip loosen, and not long after, he finally let go of her arm. 

            "Nah. Spread that nonsense if you like, no one cares." 

            She couldn't help but grin. "Since Hijikata-kun's not telling anyone about what he saw last night, I'll keep his secret, too."

            More than anything else that she told him, this was what made him snap. "What Hijikata-kun are you babbling about, bastard?! Don't act familiar with me! If Kondo-san heard of this─"

            "─he’d get jealous?"

             "Like hell he would! There's nothing to be jealous of! If there's someone he should watch out for, it's—” as if realizing his mistake, Hijikata paused and straightened his back. He threw glances from left to right before clearing his throat. “… ‘none of my damn business. BUT DON'T ACT FAMILIAR WITH ME!  

            While he went on with his rant, she stilled her grin, and every time he flamed at her, she'd tease him further. Hijikata and Tae weren't that close, they weren't strangers either. Just classmates and seatmates with a decent association. But ‘til this day, added their "little secrets," it seemed she just gained a deeper connection with him. A deeper connection that when he looked her in the eye again, a nostalgic sensation enveloped her heart. It was weird.

            It felt like she'd known him from hundred of years ago.  

* * *

 

            When the bell rang, students quickly sprinted back to their respective classrooms. Afraid that once the teachers caught them late, a consequence would be bestowed upon them. Gintama High faculty wasn't the kindest in the whole Shinjuku. Most of them had their own quirks, unpredictability, and over all sadistic qualities. Teachers' odd personalities made the students question how the hell did they pass the test to become instructors or were the administrators of the school taking their hiring process seriously?

            If someone would pass by the hallway in front of 3-Z class, one would hear the withering mumbles and heavy sighs from the senior students, as they rearranged their seats for the nth time. Once the break was over, when their Homeroom Teacher Ginpachi entered the room, the first thing he asked of them was to jumble their seating arrangement. It continued on up ‘til now thirty minutes later. Beside her, Hijikata Toushirou was already tapping his fingers on his desk. She was sure that the behavior of their teacher was already getting on his nerves.

            Even though the Raven head was part of the Disciplinary Committee (or _Shinsengumi_ , as they rebranded, and now, what people called it), he was notorious for his rigid regulations and its consequences for not following. No one wanted to make him or see him seething with anger because gods know what he was capable of doing. His temper alone, earned him the title “Demonic _Fukucho_ ”. Most often than not, he was involved in heated discussions, specifically with those whose views went against the Shinsengumi’s 45 Codes of Conduct.

            Or better yet, if someone with the nerve of steel really wanted to tick the Vice President off, just simply be a perm, white haired teacher with a pair of dead fish eyes. That was his pet peeve.

            “What’s with the sudden change of arrangement, Sensei? You testing something?”

             All the heads in the classroom were now directed toward Hijikata’s seat. He was the first one to speak after their more than half an hour compliance with the teacher. Ginpachi just raised his brow, and like what he always did, leaned his back against the wall with exasperation written all over his face.

             There was always a Hijikata vs Sakata-sensei feud, at least twice or thrice a week. Like now, a low pressure area was forming between them. Once it started, the classroom would fall silent, and anticipate the exchange. Usually, the Class President was the one who gets in between to nullify the upcoming clash, but this time, their pink head classmate with the name Almighty Butt Cheeks, stomped her feet and stood in the center of the four-cornered room.

            She almost rolled her eyes as she spoke. “Y’all wanna stop ‘tis madness? Piece ‘a cake.”

            Almighty grabbed the unsuspecting Tae and dragged her to the chair between her younger brother and Kagura. She bowed her head right after the Brunette had settled and told everyone, “thank me later.” All the students were open-mouthed, all eyes followed Almighty’s movements, as the rosy head resumed her seat.

           Tae was speechless. Gossips were coming for sure.

 

 

銀魂  
To be continued


End file.
